The Trial of Lotta Rae: The unputdownable historical novel of 2022

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This is a beautiful, sad, haunting story set in the time of Emily Pankhurst and the Sufragettes in London. This story gave me all the feels, many of which were uncomfortable. From suffrage to the personal stories, I experienced it as a bystander and raged. This debut was excellent and I highly recommend this book to all feminists and historical fiction fans. The brewery where respectable working-class Lotta (Charlotte) Rae and her beloved father earn their living always holds a party on Halloween night. During the gathering in 1909, Lotta is raped by a wealthy gentleman, an acquaintance of the owner. Her father is devastated and encourages her to press charges. The case comes to court where she is defended by an up-and-coming barrister, William Linden. She trusts him implicitly and so tells him absolutely everything about her life. The repercussions of this terrible rape are devastating to not only Lotta but subsequently her family and friends , betrayal, imprisonment, hunger strikes, death and more are some of the consequences.

The Trial of Lotta Rae by Siobhan MacGowan | Waterstones The Trial of Lotta Rae by Siobhan MacGowan | Waterstones

I have seen my name become notorious. Lotta Rae. The talk of London. There was talk, much talk for sure. But was there truth? Was there justice?" And I found echoes our own age. The Spanish flu of 1918. So called not because it originated in Spain but because a neutral Spain had no need censor their press to keep morale high. Consequently, they were first to report the pandemic, so like the Covid we have lived with. That we live with still. Perhaps you are finding it hard to forgive….perhaps it is in forgiveness that your suffering will ease.’

Advance Praise

Through Lotta’s eyes we experience the hideous cruelty of force‑feeding of women on hunger strike. And we get a sense of the suffragettes’ comradeship and heroism. But don’t be put off. Siobhan MacGowan is a poet as well as a novelist, her use of language so lyrical and beautiful that I almost couldn’t bear it at times. And the historical details about World War One and the suffragette movement added to my appreciation of this wonderful, heartfelt read. A true masterpiece. If you enjoyed The Familiarsand The Binding, you’ll love this sweeping and empowering historical novel, set in Suffragette England. There is a lot more of what she tells Lotta which tore at my heart. She was so right. But so difficult to believe in and follow the advice. For some reason, I seem to resist a lot of historical fiction, even though when it is written as well as The Trial Of Lotta Rae, it can be completely consuming and compelling. I chose to read this book almost on a whim, and I am so glad I did, as it turned out to be one of my favourite books of the year so far. MacGowan handles such strong emotions which are all described so beautifully that I could imagine myself walking alongside these characters, despite their lifestyle and beliefs being very different to mine.

The Trial of Lotta Rae, a review by Shelley The Trial of Lotta Rae, a review by Shelley

Forgiveness is not about pardoning the other person their wrongdoings….It is not about forgiving but forgoing. Letting go. In that acceptance you are released. You can banish the wrongdoer from your life, for it is not they but your own feelings of hatred and resentment that keeps you bound to them.’ Oh Lotta! How much sadder could your life become? I loved this book, but some mornings I would wake and dread reading the next stave (we read in 10 staves with The Pigeonhole) thinking ‘can things get any worse for her?’ And they did, till by the end I was in floods of tears, but not just for Lotta.This book begs to be awarded 5 stars simply because one cannot ignore the exceptional writing throughout what is a harrowing but compelling story set in the lates1800s/early 1900s, encompassing WWI, and a society seemingly very different to today's, but in actual fact scarily relevant.

The Trial of Lotta Rae: The unputdownable historical novel of

There is something so very haunting and so very beautiful about this novel. Perhaps it comes from how fantastically it's written, maybe it's in how raw it feels, whatever it may be, it's there. We are always delighted to hear from authors. We are currently open for review requests and we are happy to review a wide variety of genres. Please submit your information below and we will be in touch asap. This book was recommended to me by a friend from my online Book Group. When she told me it was one of the best books she had read last year (in advance of its January 2023 publication), I knew it would be good. However, I didn’t realise it would be so good! When the verdict isn’t in her favour, the repercussions are devastating and far reaching for Lotta and her family. Some years later, Lotta meets William’s son Raff and she thinks to punish her barrister for everything she has lost despite his promises and becomes friendly with Raff thinking she can get some sort of revenge on William. But in times to come it will be this part that I remember the most vividly. Shortly after another tragedy which I can’t mention because of spoilers, Lotta visits a spiritualist in Camden.Charlotte Ray affectionately known as Lotta is raped by a despicable, wealthy male, Henry Allen Griffiths. Supported by her mam and pap, she makes the decision to press charges against him, believing that her lawyer William Lindon will fight the good fight and do her justice. The Trial of Lotta Rae captured my imagination as right from the start I was on Lotta's side and yet as we discover justice isn't always on the side of the righteous. Bringing the mean moody streets of the East End of London to life we get to experience Lotta's downfall, her naive trust in authority and her search for justice and retribution. Twelve years later as the suffragettes rise and the ghost of WW1 looms large over London, William and Lotta meet again. Now, they will travel to a fateful destination where truths must be faced and wrongs must be righted. I didn't reread the blurb for this one before I started reading it, and for some reason I thought it was a fantasy novel, so was a little bit surprised when it turned out to be historical fiction. I think the cover was what was giving me the fantasy vibes, but after the initial surprise of not getting what I was expecting, I was completely captivated by the wonderful writing and the amazing storyline. It was tragic, and sad, and haunting. An absolutely wonderful debut from Siobhan MacGowan!

The Trial of Lotta Rae has insights into the past and the present The Trial of Lotta Rae has insights into the past and the present

Halloween night, 1906. Lotta Rae is assaulted by a wealthy gentleman and bravely takes him to trial alongside her barrister, William.I can see much suffering in your life. You have lost someone dear, perhaps more than one,’ she says. ‘And I see trouble there…perhaps one who….has wronged you greatly.’